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Joshua Westwick ’01/M.S. ’03, associate director of South Dakota State University’s School of Communication and Journalism, recently received the Don Yoder Distinguished Faculty Award at the National Communication Association’s annual Basic Course Division business meeting.

When COVID-19 had Nicole Carlson quarantined at her Sioux Falls home, the South Dakota State University nursing instructor didn’t have to miss watching her students perform basic skills in the college’s simulation lab in Brookings. Thanks to a telepresence robot purchased through funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, Carlson was right there with the students.

Cody Christensen, an associate professor at South Dakota State University, received the V.L. Laursen Award at the University Aviation Association’s 73rd Annual Education Conference held virtually in October. Christensen, who has led the SDSU aviation program since 2014, is the first one from SDSU to receive an award from the UAA.

Nicholas Uilk, an instructor in South Dakota State University’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, has been named a recipient of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities national teaching awards in recognizing excellence in agricultural sciences teaching and student engagement.

South Dakota State University has been named to The Princeton Review’s 2021 Guide to Green Schools list. According to The Princeton Review, the schools on the list share superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus.

South Dakota State University, in partnership with Sinte Gleska University, has received $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Igluwiyeya (Prepare oneself): Pathways from Preparation to Graduation at Land-Grant Institutions. Igluwiyeya is Lakota for prepare oneself.

President Donald Trump signed the 2020 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Dec. 20, with a historic provision that will provide full funding to support American Indian students seeking the benefits of higher education at land-grant universities, which include tribal colleges. The bill passed both the House and the Senate prior to Trump signing.

S.D. Nelson and Gregory Bryan, the men behind two South Dakota Art Museum exhibits of American Indian story illustrations, will speak on Sept. 12 at 5:45 p.m. during the 5-7 p.m. closing reception for S.D. Nelson: Sharing My Vision and A Life’s Work: Paul Goble Illustrations of American Indian Stories.

Theater students can put on a first-class/world-class production thanks to the recent addition to the Performing Arts Center. After the addition was completed, it was renamed to the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Students now perform in the new, state-of-the-art proscenium theater, which seats about 850 people.

South Dakota State University faculty and staff will develop a series of professional development opportunities to gain a broader understanding of American Indian history, culture and current issues. As part of the university’s Wokini Initiative, the professional development series will help foster a culturally responsive and supportive campus environment for American Indian students to support the goal of their increasing retention and graduation rates.